Mutua fails to block trial over illegal vehicle procurement

September 23, 2016 12:17 pm

The Machakos Governor is to face charges of abuse of office over the procurement of motor vehicle for the County’s Executive Committee members after the DPP had already authorized his prosecution/FILE

By CORRESPONDENT, NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 23 – Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua on Friday lost bid to block his prosecution over irregular procurement of 16 motor vehicles to be used by the County’s Executive Committee members.

Justice Isaac Lenaola dismissed Mutua’s petition seeking to halt his prosecution saying he had failed to prove his assertion that he was not informed by Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission the kind of information it wanted.

Justice Lenaola said that the Governor was aware of the investigation that were conducted by the Commission’s officers and was regularly informed of the process of the investigation.

He noted that Mutua had even recorded a statement with EACC investigators and cannot feign ignorance of the process of the investigation.

The Machakos Governor is to face charges of abuse of office over the procurement of motor vehicle for the County’s Executive Committee members after the DPP had already authorized his prosecution.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, says that in the course of investigations, it was alleged that Mutua, in breach of procurement procedures, personally sourced Subaru Outback vehicles for Executive committee members and a Toyota Landcruiser and exerted influence to single source from Extreme Auto’s Ltd.

But Mutua claims that as head of county government, he is only engaged in policy formulation along with the Executive members and as such, he did not in any way participate in procurement or influence the Tender Committee.